Ethiopia Moves Forward with Massive Nile Dam Project

07/14/11

Ethiopia has announced that it will construct a controversial multibillion-dollar Nile River dam that could supply more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity for itself and its neighbors, including newcomer South Sudan.

The project—the Grand Millennium Dam—has sparked worries about environmental and human costs and is refocusing attention on the country’s troubled history with large dams.

At a public ceremony in March, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi laid the cornerstone for the new dam, a hydroelectric power plant that will span a section of the Blue Nile River in the country’s Benishangul-Gumuz region.

24 comments

Dear netters,
I don’t really understand why some Ethiopians are against the development of our God given resources for the benefit of the country. Most of the so-called foreign experts and organizations such as International Rivers of California are lobbysts who do the dirty job of our number one enemy, Egypt. They emphasize on the negative impacts of the project without highlighting the benefits. They accuse the government for not carrying out Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to construction commencement. Personally, with limited knowledge in the field of water resources and environmental studies, I don’t buy their story. How in the hell someone would dare to invest about 5 billion dollars without conducting an EIA? This is the cardinal of the project evaluation process. I wish the authorities could publish the EIA report for public consumption. At the same time, I understand their reservation for avoiding the unwarranted accusations and blackmailings from these vultures in the name of indigenous tribes and “democracy in Egypt.”

I’m glade to see they are going forward with this project because it’s not affecting the environment as the matter of fact this dam will benefit Sudan and Egypt from over flood related disaster. And it’s win win situation for everyone.
God Bless Ethiopia

why are you saying controversial?
Are you supporting the Egyptains? or you are supporting Isayas who wishs Ethiopia to go bancrapt?.
Ther is no controversial here. Just we the ethiopians are redy to support our selves regardless your empty negative prpaganda.
The building of the dam has alrady started long time a go, here you are talking as if it will be started whenver….Pleaas stop your negative dreaming against ethiopia.

Who is going to trust a corrupted beggers weyannes and their
Looting project. First bring all the money you and your wife stolen from ethiopia. It is estimated that 4,5billion dollar is stached by weyannes Laibba in europe and asiea.

“At the beginning of the twentieth century around 420,000 square kilometres (35% of Ethiopia’s land) was covered by trees but recent research indicates that forest cover is now less than 14.2%, infact as little as 4% due to population growth. The Ethiopian people use trees for lumber for construction, and to fuel their cooking fires."…now why do you the so called inviromentalists want this trend to continue if you really care about the invironment?.

WAs you know we Ethiopians are very poor, can you please allow us to service as humans. What is your problem we are not able to reach to the development where you are reach, in other words Ethiopians are only hopping to eat there daily bread. You experts do you belive in God (that is what you write on the dollar) if you truly belive in God please leave us alone, let us do what ever we want to do in our country. For your information you teach few Ethiopia’n and gave them PHD and shape them to stand aganist there own mother land. God will pay you very soon.

The writer said “The potential has not been lost on the Ethiopian government. According to environmental group International Rivers, Ethiopia has more than 20 dams that are either currently operating or under construction–more than any other African nation.”

Barberic Meles destroyed a Dam which is built by President Mengistu, now Meles is in a new drama of building Abay dam to shift the attention of current public uprising pressure. Surprising creature Meles also ordred 200 Tanks that used for the construction….. while 9 millions of Ethiopian people is under severe hunger. 20 years ago Meles vaguely promised to change ammunition factories in to machinary tools processing,,,Surprising creature chimpazee Meles, see his picture on Utube while he has been lying…K!KKKKK

Hey You ( Wh. beach- the so called “intelectual Jo")before you open your brain mouse regarding Ethiopia and Ethiopians do your homework.To start with here is Eth101 for you—Title:Endegena-Ethiopian Documentary (www.waltainfo.com)

According to the Nation Geographic Magazine, “the country’s dams have been linked to the controversial government practice of “land grabs.”

“The Ethiopian government, which owns all land in the country, has been pushing tribal people off their ancestral lands and is leasing large tracts of land to foreign interests, critics say.”

“The government has already initiated extensive agricultural irrigation schemes . . . for private corporations and the government, forcing large numbers of the indigenous population out of these agricultural and livestock grazing lands,” said Claudia Carr, a professor of international rural resource development at the University of California, Berkeley.”

Ethiopians want to use the river water for their farming and irrigation.

We didn’t want Meles to build dam or to push away indigenous people out of their land just to grab their land!!

Diasporas!
Don’t kill your people by participating in this criminal Meles scheme?
Your money is tainted with blood!

International rivers would gladly scarify a human being to save a hippopotamus and or crocodile. It is sad while they sit and criticize what this poor county is doing they have no ideas or interest in alleviating the misfortune of 85 million people, who are stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty and famine. They spend thousands of dollars trying to lobby world organizations not to help a country develop. They wanted to “preserve” the livelihood of an indigenous community who are somehow better off without a hint of civilizations, shoes are overrated anyways and who needs medicine and schools and or perhaps what would the California based international rivers staff visit to get away from their hectic life styles.

The fact of the matter is Ethiopia is tired of the same all same. We have been around 2 thousand years, we let those rivers flow an uninterrupted for eternity, and look where we are now. The rest of the world including the United states has done what we are doing now hundred years ago, well including ” displacing some indigenous people” and look where this country is today. So it is time for Ethiopia to take some chances and make some drastic changes and if it doesn’t work we won’t be any worse than we already are.
So if you can help as we will forever in debt to you if you don’t want to help us at least live us alone.
Thanks

We Ethiopians shall roll our sleeves, forward our potential(expertise & money etc…) towards the fulfilment of this grand millenium plan regardless of our political divide.Else history will forever judge us, inept.Remember this has nothing to do with pm x or engineer y business.It is Ethiopian and always remain Ethiopian issue for earnest.Any one who say otherwise must be only a “BASTARD” period!!!